Using the Autoharp

     Music has been a huge part of our classroom this school year.  The children are always singing and using the musical instruments in the basket in the classroom.  I thought it would be interesting to introduce the children to some instruments they might not normally see.  Our program has Autoharps available so I brought one into the classroom.
     I modeled for the children how to strum on the autoharp using the picks instead of their fingers.  The children caught on very quickly and very quickly decided they enjoyed the sound the autoharp made.  They were using words like "strum", "harp", "pick", and discussing the sound.  One of the children noticed that by pressing one of the buttons the sound changed on the harp.  Many of the children were interested in the vibrations of the strings as the pick went across them.  They were continuously putting their hands on the autoharp to feel the strings vibrate.
     I plan on using this with the children on more occasions to see how their ideas build and comfort level with the music strengthens.